Gobindram Mitter was one of the earliest Indian officials under the British rule and earned a reputation for his wealth and extravagance.

Early life

He was born in Chanak village near Barrackpur, now in North 24 Parganas district

North 24 Parganas district

North 24 Parganas district is a district in southern West Bengal, of eastern India. North 24 Parganas extends in the [tropical zone] from latitude 22º11'6" north to 23º15'2" north and from longitude 88º20' east to 89º5' east...

. When the English bought the three villages of Kalikata

Kalikata

Kalikata was one of the three villages which were merged to form the city of Kolkata in India. The other two villages were Gobindapur and Sutanuti. Job Charnock, an administrator with the British East India Company is traditionally credited with the honour of founding the city...

, Sutanuti

Sutanuti

Sutanuti was one of the three villages which were merged to form the city of Kolkata in India. The other two villages were Gobindapur and Kalikata. Job Charnock, an administrator with the British East India Company is traditionally credited with the honour of founding the city...

 and Gobindapur

Gobindapur

Gobindapur was one of the three villages which were merged to form the city of Kolkata in India. The other two villages were Kalikata and Sutanuti...

 from the Sabarna Roy Choudhury

Sabarna Roy Choudhury

Sabarna Ray Chaudhury family were the Zamindar of the Kolkata area, prior to the arrival of the British. On November 10, 1698, they transferred, by lease, their rights over the three villages – Sutanuti, Kalikata and Gobindapur - to the East India Company...

 family in 1698 and established their zemindary (estate) or presidency in Kolkata

Kolkata

Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...

, they appointed an Indian deputy collector to assist the English collector in the collection of rent. The first Indian deputy collector was Nandaram Sen. After his discharge, the second Indian to step into that position was Gobindram Mitra.

Extravagance

Mitter earned fabulous amounts of money. He was so powerful that his boss Holwell

John Zephaniah Holwell

John Zephaniah Holwell FRS was a surgeon, an employee of the English East India Company, and a temporary Governor of Bengal...

 could not remove him.

He is credited by some as being the first Bengali to drive a coach. His celebration of the Hindu festivals was marked with lavishness and extravagance. The entire image of goddess Durga

Durga Puja

Durga puja ; দুর্গা পূজা,ଦୁର୍ଗା ପୂଜା,‘Worship of Durga’), also referred to as Durgotsava ; , is an annual Hindu festival in South Asia that celebrates worship of the Hindu goddess Durga. It refers to all the six days observed as Mahalaya, Shashthi, Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Navami and...

 was wrapped in gold and silver leaf. Thirty to fifty maunds (one maund is about 37 kg) of rice was offered to the deity, a thousand Brahmins were fed and given gifts. It was he who fired the urge for conspicuous consumption in the society of his time. Mitter had a sprawling house at Kumortuli

Kumortuli

Kumortuli is a traditionally potters’ quarter in northern Kolkata , the capital of the east Indian state of West Bengal. By virtue of their artistic productions these potters have moved from obscurity to prominence...

 spread on 50 bighas (around 16 acres) of land. He also had a famous villa, Nandan Bagan,in Bengal.

Legend

Mitter became a legend in his lifetime. He was famous as native deputy and the words “Gobindramer chhari” (Gobndram’s stick) was celebrated in a Bengali rhyming proverb:

Banamali Sarakrer bari

Gobindram Mitrar chhari

Umichander dari

Huzoorimaler kori

Ke na jane?

Banamali Sarkar’s house

Gobindram Mitter’s stick

Umichand’s beard

Huzoorimal’s money

Who does not know of these?

Banamali Sarkar’s grand house was built in Kumortuli

Kumortuli

Kumortuli is a traditionally potters’ quarter in northern Kolkata , the capital of the east Indian state of West Bengal. By virtue of their artistic productions these potters have moved from obscurity to prominence...

 during the period 1740 to 1750.

Temple

Mitter built a nine-turreted or nabaratna temple of goddess Kali on the banks of the Ganges at Kumortuli in 1725 (some say, it was in 1731). Its 165-feet spire was a navigational aid for sailors. They called it the ‘pagoda’. The ruins of the temple can be seen near the Siddheswari Kalimandir in Bagbazar

Bagbazar

There is also a bagbazar in Kathmandu, Nepal.Bagbazar is a neighbourhood in north Kolkata, in the Indian state of West Bengal...

. http://www.siddheswaribaghbazar.org

Descendants

His son, Roghoo (Raghu) Mitter had a Ganges bathing ghat (stairs) named after him (it was possibly built by him). It later became popular as Baghbazar ghat. Roghoo Mitter’s grandson Abhay Charan Mitter was the dewan of the collector of 24 Parganas and is reputed to have given a lakh of rupees to his guru or spiritual preceptor. A street in Kumartuli is named after him. Jorabagan

Jorabagan

Jorabagan is a neighbourhood in north Kolkata, earlier known as Calcutta, in the Indian state of West Bengal. As a neighbourhood, it covers a small area but its importance is primarily because of the police stationand the assembly constituency.- Etymology :...

, a Kolkata neighbourhood was so named because the road through it led to the garden houses of Gobindram Mitter and Umichand.

See also

• Legendary personalities in Bengal
  Legendary personalities in Bengal
  Gouri Sen, Hari Ghosh, Banamali Sarkar, Gobindram Mitter, Umichand, and Huzoorimal are some legendary personalities, who have survived in public memory in Bengal or what are now the Bengali speaking areas of India and Bangladesh through popular rhymes or sayings...